Top of the garden and letter writing.

This morning I decided to stay at home to have rest and write a letter. Stephen went off to church and I took myself off up into the loft bedroom with its wonderful view over the gardens, along with a mug of tea and writing paper.
There is a saga about the writing paper.
I wanted a proper writing pad (like Basildon Bond brand) not your bog standard ones.
I prefer unlined paper.
I went off to the local sub-post office not far from here, the other day, to buy one.
I searched all the shelves which contained padded envelopes, large and small envelopes, brown envelopes, lined exercise books, lined jotter pads and computer paper, but could not see any writing paper pads.
An assistant came to ask if she could help.
I told her I wanted some writing paper. She produced all the things I had already looked at, so I explained I wanted it in order to write a letter. She looked very puzzled. Then showed me a kind of lined exercise book size jotter pad. She was at a complete loss as to what I waslooking for on the shelves.
In the end I said A writing pad like a Basildon Bond one. Complete blank! Not her fault that she’d never seen any before! She simply did not understand what an unlined writing pad for composing handwritten letters was about.
They had none anywhere in the shop.
A sign of the times.
Frustrated I came home and as I was ordering another Kate Morton book from Amazon I looked to see if they had any Basildon Bond!
Bingo. So I ordered them together as they would come in one delivery.
Who would’ve thought that would ever happen!
I intend to have a look in WHSmith’s next time I am in town to see if they still stock any for letter writing.
I wanted to write two letters this weekend and spent an hour duly filling 5 pages, (both sides) to my cousin Anne up in West Cumbria. She had sent me an Order of Service which was used at her husband of 60 years’ funeral.
She had included a lovely letter.
Somehow there is something special about having a hand written letter to read. They can be read over and over if need be.
I have two more letters to write next.
But that will wait until tomorrow.
Incidentally as I was sitting up in my eyrie, a beautiful fox came into the garden at the end by the summerhouse. He stood for awhile looking all around before disappearing once more along the back.
It was busy on the feeders too. I counted 7 Goldfinches at one point and even then there were more in the Rowan tree. A charm of Goldfinches., along with the Robin, Coaltits, Bluetits and the squirrel, (who keeps burying acorns in our pots!)
It was a very wet start to the day and looking stormy out to the east as I write this in the summerhouse after Sunday’s lunch. Once it starts it comes down so fast!
It’s 20C and 15:00h.